Spangenberg Theatre Spangenberg Theatre (September 17, 2004)

Note: The Spangenberg Theatre is located on the Gunn High School campus, 780 Arastradero Road, Palo Alto. Screenings are for Friday through Tuesday. For more information visit www.spangenbergtheatre.com or call (650) 354-8220.

"Fahrenheit 9/11" (2004) Michael Moore has developed into a spirited documentarian, proffering his damning expose of George W. Bush with artful skill and more than a little je ne sais quoi . Beginning with the 2000 election snafu and moving into the early days of Bush's presidency, Moore lays the ammunition on thick. It all comes to a bitter head when jet planes crash into the Twin Towers on Sept. 11, 2001. Incendiary propaganda? Yes, but Moore manages to sidestep his trademark grandstanding in the name of provocateur journalism and the dawn of resolution. Fri. & Sat. at 9 p.m.; Tue. at 5 p.m.

"Girl with a Pearl Earring" (2003) This "what-if" tale about the creation of Johannes Vermeer's 1665 masterpiece of the same name isn't what you'd call a plot-driven rouser, but if you've got the patience, this sumptuous exhibition overflows with visual delights. Griet (Scarlett Johansson), forced to work in the household of Vermeer (Colin Firth) because her family has fallen into destitution, must suffer the indignities of being at the wrong end of a merciless class system. The master obsessively spends his days locked away in his studio; his pale and pregnant wife Catharina (Essie Davis) spends hers resenting Griet's beauty and youth. Fri. & Sat. at 7 p.m.; Sun. at 5 p.m.; Mon. & Tue. at 7:30 p.m.

"Iron Kid" (2004) Special free preview screening of the 3-D animated series about a pair futuristic young adventurers and a powerful weapon called the Iron Fist. Sun. at 1 & 3 p.m.

"Orwell Rolls In His Grave" (2004) Documentary director Robert Kane Pappas presents a critical examination of the Fourth Estate, once the bastion of American democracy. Asking whether America has entered an Orwellian world of doublespeak where outright lies can pass for the truth, Pappas explores what the media doesn't like to talk about: itself. Sat. at 3 p.m.

"Outfoxed" (2004) If a respected "news" outlet offered up biased viewpoints on politics and national issues, how would you know whether what you were hearing were straight facts or skewed opinions? These are some of the questions asked by "Outfoxed," an unsettling documentary about media giant Rupert Murdoch's Fox News network. Interviews with past Fox correspondents and passionate journalists punctuate producer/director Robert Greenwald's examination of the "fair and balanced" network and its right-wing Republican ties. Fri. & Sat. at 5 p.m.; Sun. at 7 p.m.; Mon. at 5:45 p.m.

"Shrek 2" (2004) This smart sequel finds newlyweds Shrek (voiced by Mike Myers) and Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz) contending with hostile in-laws (Fiona's parents, voiced by John Cleese and Julie Andrews). Plot complications come courtesy of a conniving fairy godmother (Jennifer Saunders), who wants Fiona to marry Charming (Rupert Everett), her wannabe prince of a son. Feline swashbuckler Puss In Boots (Antonio Banderas) debuts as the perfect third amigo for Shrek and his wisecracking sidekick, Donkey (Eddie Murphy). Sat. at 1 p.m.

E-mail a friend a link to this story.

[an error occurred while processing this directive]